Baby feeding spoon wiping aid



Aug. 20, 1957 v. w. FLORIO 2,803,030

BABY. FEEDING SPOON WIPING AID Filed April 28', 1 54- 2 5 5 I l "llillla wg y j INVENTOR. VITO W. FLOR/0 ATTORNEY United States P t 7 2,803,030 BABY FEEDING SPOON WIPING AID Vito W. Florio, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 28, 1954, Serial No. 426,250 4 Claims. (Cl. 15--245) This invention concerns a novel article of manufacture that is particularly useful as an aid in the process of feeding babies by spoon.

The foods commonly fed to babies are soft, often in the form of a pasty cereal, mash, pulp, or the like. Such foods are fed to the child from a dish or the like. As the food is taken from the dish much of it adheres and clings to the bottom of the spoon. As the spoon is carried from the dish to the child the food drips from the bottom of the spoon, and much of it smears the childs face in the feeding operation. After each feeding operation the child and his clothes are smeared with baby food, all of which materially adds to the trials and tribulations of a mother. A practical method of eliminating these difiiculties is, indeed, greatly desired.

Now, I have invented a device for eliminating these difficulties in a simple and practical manner. I have devised a novel and practical means whereby the underside of the spoon may be wiped clean of any adhering food so that there will be no drippings of food nor smearing of the baby in the feeding process.

The general object of this invention is, therefore, to avoid smearing a child's face and clothing with baby food when feeding the child by spoon.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for wiping in a simple and practical manner from the bottom of a spoon food that has adhered thereto.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a simple and novel means that is attachable to a dish and may be utilized as a means for wiping clean the underside of a spoon that has been dipped into viscid food.

The invention further lies in the particular c0nstruction of the device as well as in the relative association and cooperative organization of the various elements thereof with respect to one another.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of illustration and description, and are not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention.

In the several drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a baby feeding aid embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating use of the invention with a dish having an angularly disposed brim; and

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating use of the invention with a dish having a horizontally disposed brim.

In describing the invention in greater detail, reference is directed to the several drawings, wherein there is disclosed a device 1 for wiping clean the bottom of a spoon. The device comprises a block element 2 having fastening means 3 for attaching the block to a suitable support. The

-, Patented Aug. 20, 1957 ICC block member includes an arcuate cutout 4 in its upper edge, and it is of firm material, preferably rubber. The fastening means is here illustrated as a clip having an end portion 5 that carries the block member, and having a clamp portion 6 which is adapted to clamp upon a suitable support, preferably the edge of a dish 7 as in Figs. 4 and 5.

In use the device is attached by clip 3 to the brim or edge of a dish and, after a spoon has been dipped into sticky food, the food that adheres to the bottom of the spoon is wiped off by drawing the bottom of the spoon in contact with the arcuate portion 4 of the block element, the food dropping from the spoon into the dish as the spoon is drawn across the surface of the arcuate portion.v

While the block member may take other forms, it is here of rectangular proportions and preferably wedge form in cross section, the tapered portion 8 of the wedge form being uppermost. The tapered portion is desirable so as to provide a narrow arcuate contact surface of the block member with the bottom of the spoon. This tends to prevent the food scraped from the spoon bottom from accumulating on the arcuate surface, which would otherwise happen were the arcuate surface of wide dimensions. It is to be further noted that the arcuate portion 4 is further tapered or beveled, as at 9, on its inner side. This provides a fine and precipitous edge over which the bottom of the spoon may be drawn. By this structure the food drops down into the dish as it is scraped from the bottom of the spoon, and the wiping edge of the block element is insured of staying clean of food at all times.

The clip 3 is preferably of spring material wherein the opposed walls of the clamping section 6 are biased slightly toward one another so as to provide a suitable clamping attachment thereof with the brim of the dish in support of the block element.

It is to be noted in Figs. 4 and 5 that the wiping block element is in vertical erect position even though the brim portion of each dish is disposed at a different angle. This advantage is enabled by the nature of the end portion 5 of the clip. This end piece passes through the Wiping block. The end piece 5 is preferably arcuate and the block element 2 is slidable thereon. By this arrangement it is clear that when the clamping end of the clip is disposed either in an angular or horizontal position, the block member may be moved along the arcuate strip 5 either backwards or forwards, as may be required to bring it to a vertical upright position. There is no danger of the block element slipping or slopping upon the strip 5 when in use, as the fit of the block with the end piece 5 is a snug one, and the rubber nature of the block affords a gripping action thereon.

A further feature of the invention is found in projections 10, one at each end of the underside of the block. These are of a length sufficient to contact the surface of the dish when the wiping block is clipped to the latter. They serve to further support the wiping block upon the dish in that they prevent the block from sagging in one direction or the other on the centrally located clip, when ofl center pressure is exerted upon the block in drawing the spoon bottom over it.

A further advantage of the rubber construction of the block member is that the latter will yield slightly in the cleaning process, whereby the arcuate edge is caused to contact the entire bottom of the spoon, and in this respect spoons having different contoured bottoms may be drawn across the arcuate edge and in full contact therewith.

Another advantage of the rubber material of the block element is that the latter will not squeak or crack, as would happen in cases where the block member is formed of some other type material.

The invention further consists in the novel arrangement,

construction, and combination of its various elements, and while a preferred form of the invention has been shown and described; yet, I do not wish to be limited to such, and it is my intent to claim all set forth herein as well as all modifications and forms as may bereasonably construed to be within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an article of manufacture useful in the process of feeding a child viscid food from a dish, an elongated solid block element of firm rubber material including an arcuate top surface land portion conforming to the bottom lateral curvature of a spoon and across the surface of which the bottom of a spoon may be drawn and wiped clean of any food adhering thereto, a clip for supporting the block element to the brim of the dish, the clip including a clamp portion attachable to the brim of the dish and an arcuate band strip unitary with the clamp portion and spaced directly above the latter in a plane above the brim of the dish, the band strip extending crosswise through a slot in the mid area of the block element and supporting the latter in upright position, and the block element being angularly slidable upon the arcuate strip to a plurality of selective positions above the brim of the dish, the rubber material affording a gripping action for the block about the clip to prevent slipping thereon when in use.

2. In an article as set forth in claim 1, wherein the block element is wedge shape in cross section whereby a wide support is provided at the bottom thereof upon the clip and a narrow arcuate land surface is afforded for contact with the spoon bottom, and the narrow arcuate land surface sloping down toward the dish, whereby food wiped from the bottom of the spoon is caused to drop into the dish.

3. A mothers baby feeding aid for cleaning the bottom of a babys spoon of food during a feeding operation, comprising an 8 formed clip of band spring material, the bottom curve of the clip providing a clamp adapted to clamp over the marginal brim of a dish, and an elongated solid block of rubber material having a thick base tapering up to a relatively narrow top surface, the top surface being arcuate in form and providing a land conforming to the lateral curvature of the bottom of the babys spoon, the block element having a slot through its body below the lowermost portion of the curvature of the land through which slot the upper curvestrip of the clip is slidably received and whereby the block element is supported in upright position transversely of the upper curve strip of the clip and is angularly slidable lengthwise of the latter strip to a plurality of selective positions above the marginal brim of the dish.

4. In a mothers baby feeding aid of the character described for keeping the bottom of the babys spoon ciean of food during a feeding operation including an 5 formed clip of spring band material, the lower curve of which is adapted to clamp over the margnal portion of the brim of a dish, an elongated solid block of rubberrnaterial having a base tapering up to a relatively narrow top surface, the latter being arcuate in form and providing a land conforming to the lateral curvature of the bottom of the babys spoon and sloping in a' particular direction, the base having depending short legs to rest upon the surface of the dish and the block including a slot transverseiy of the middle thereof adapted to slidably receive therethrough the upper curve portion of the clip whereby the block is supported in upright position on the upper curve of the clip and is selectively movable thereon to a plurality of positions above the brim of the dish.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,017,753 Harrison Feb. 20, 1912 FOREIGN PATENTS 837,457 Germany Apr. 28, 1952 922,525 France Feb. 3, 1947 

